Heartstrings
by Riri-chi
Summary: His words paralyzed her at times thus she wondered about his mysterious ways. However, the time he needed her the most, she was there. So now it's her turn, in her desperate moment of need, will he be there to pick her back up?
1. Wilted News

...

_"It's not ending, everything's starting."  
>"Wherever I go, whatever the distance that separates us, I will come back to you. And when you grow up and become an adult, I promise I'll come back and find you."<em>  
>"<em>Because I'll always keep liking you like this."<br>_...

* * *

><p>"<em>I promise..."<em>

Those words engraved deep into her heart as she looked down at her hands; the same hands that Ikuto held at the wedding. That was years ago, and now she was ready to graduate middle school. She was ready to move to high school and carry her dreams with her.

Amu Hinamori was like any other teenager, just trying to find a place in this world. In order to work hard and pursue her dreams, she wanted to get into college. Ever since her father lost his job as a photographer, Amu had been helping out the family as much as she could with side jobs. She often helped out at the local daycare where she tended to the children and helped out with the necessities. She even got Rima and Yaya to help whenever they could. It was a delightful feeling that made her smile.

However, there was an empty feeling inside of her. She didn't feel complete without that light. The heartstrings of her life struck and she was lovestuck, rather than lovestruck. Amu had often wondered if Ikuto actually kept his promise. Sometimes negative thoughts entered her mind because she was afraid that maybe he had moved on and forgotten about her. Yet she had no right to feel this way. After all, Ikuto wasn't completely hers.

On the wonderful night of Christmas Eve, Amu was walking home after a long day at the daycare center. The kids were rough today as they kept begging for food or rather just attention itself. Amu sighed as she rubbed her empty stomach that growled.

"Ahh, what a day! I'm glad it's over," Amu said as she stretched her arms into the cool air.

She turned the corner to her house and proceeded to enter her house. A smile was plastered upon her face as she saw all the Christmas lights up around her house. When she was inside, she slipped off her shoes and put on her slippers. However, there was a figure standing in the hallway.

"I'm home," Amu said nonchalantly.

He didn't move from his spot nor did he say a word. Amu tilted her head in concern and walked near her father. Her eyes widened.

"Papa? What's wrong?" she asked.

She watched the tears spill down the sides of his cheeks as he turned to face her. These were true, genuine tears and this was the first time that she had seen her father react in such a way. He stared at her.

"Your sister is in the hospital," he whispered slowly.

Amu dropped her bag and everything froze. Her golden eyes had become blank and she stood still. Her lips parted and she tried to stop the tears from spilling out. Not just tears for her sister, but tears that she had been building up on the inside this whole time. Tears for her father's job loss, stress on her mother, Ikuto, and her dreams. She thought it was a dream. It had to be a dream.

"This is all a dream, right? If I pinch myself, I'll just wake up." Amu said.

Her father looked over at her and Amu kept pinching herself. She kept trying but more tears spilled out. Tsumugu took Amu's arms away from her and he hugged her. She was shaking and she felt so lost. It was the first time that Amu could cry in such a long time.

"Why? ...Why?" Amu cried.

* * *

><p>Ikuto had traveled far over the years. He constantly had his mission in mind to find his father alive because he had a gut feeling that he was somewhere. However, he also had his mind set on a special girl, Amu Hinamori. He'd often smirk to himself about how she would react to him in so many ways. Yet he was happy that she had shown him different sides of her that no one had seen before.<p>

His life was becoming better ever since the incident with Easter had ended. He was now traveling with an orchestra that was associated with his father. He was able to show the world his gift of the violin and to pursue his dreams.

Yet on the night of Christmas Eve, everything had changed. He was still located in London and was walking in the town center. Ikuto was preparing to play for the townspeople like he usually did every Friday night. Amu had opened up a side of him that he had blocked from the entire world. She had lighten his heart and now he was able to show the world his dreams.

As he was playing his violin near the fountain, a group of people formed around him. They usually came to hear the soothing noises that Ikuto produced. As Ikuto played, his eyes scanned the crowd and stopped to see an unfamiliar figure. The figure smiled.

Ikuto recognized that smile and once he was done playing, he had set down his violin as the crowd applauded. He smiled and the figure walked up to Ikuto.

"Tsukasa?" Ikuto asked.

"Ikuto, I think I know where your father might be," Tsukasa said.

And thus Ikuto's world started to brighten up more, he was really excited on the inside, even if he didn't show it on the outside. More importantly, he wanted to send another letter to Amu telling her about his exciting news.

* * *

><p>The tables were turning for our heroine. Her story was starting to have a downfall. It wasn't full of smiles or dreams now, but pain and sadness. As for Ikuto, his story was beginning to turn around and become better. It wasn't full of pain and sadness, but smiles and dreams.<p>

The heartstrings of their lives plucked once more as the changes were being made.

_"Ikuto..."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hi! So I thought of this idea while roleplaying on tumblr. I named the story after my favorite k-drama. And no, this will have NO relation to that drama whatsoever. Plus when I was roleplaying with Raven AKA Raven De Crow, she kept mentioning heartstrings and I just fell in love with the word<br>So this is just the prologue! Kinda long in a way, but it's okay. So what happens from here? What happened to Ami? How did Tsukasa find out Ikuto's father's whereabouts?  
>Find out in the next chapter of Heartstrings! <strong>_


	2. Shocking Unrecovery

"_As long as I keep holding tight to that hand, my future will be alright."_

_..._

As still as a puddle of rain, her honey eyes showed no emotions at all. Amu was sitting in the waiting room at Seiyo hospital. Sadness filled her veins, almost as if they wanted to burst and bleed out the crying pain that was hidden beneath it all. She clutched onto the hem of her skirt as her knuckles turned white. Her only main concern right now was for her sister, Ami.

She looked to her right and waited for her mother to come out from Ami's room and tell her the news. Amu had no idea what was going on with Ami except that she knew she was in the hospital for a reason.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

The unsteady rhythm of her tapping was a sign of impatience. She needed to know and her wishes came true. Midori walked out of Ami's room and headed down the hospital's corridor toward Amu. Every step that her mother took was another heartbeat passing by for Amu. Amu stood up and patiently waited for her mother. However, the look in her mother's eyes wasn't pleasing.

"Amu-chan," she said.

Amu bit her bottom lip and said,"Y-Yes?"

Her mother remained still for a moment and just like Amu had done earlier, she had broken down. Amu widened her eyes and slowly wrapped her arms around her mother as she remained still. The silent cries were meant for Amu to hear and she hugged her mother tightly.

"She... she was raped." Midori said.

Amu stopped and tilted back to look at her mother. Midori's almond eyes were red and soaked in tears. An unsteady beating of her heart started to slow her breathing down and she could feel the tears forming. With that sudden look in her mother's eyes, it had torn her apart on the inside. It had eaten her soul away and crushed her spirits.

"Ami… was raped?" Amu said. Midori silently nodded.

A single tear slid down her cheeks and she buried her face into her mother's neck. Her body felt so weak from all the crying as she wanted to break down and just tear everything apart. Her arms and legs were slightly shaking; even the whole room looked like it was spinning. Amu didn't feel the same after those words were said.

She popped her head up slowly and looked around the hospital. She saw a figure standing near the door. He smirked at her as his finger pointed at Amu and slowly whispered," You're next." The chains of her heart were thus broken and she screamed.

The pit of her stomach tossed and turned, almost as if she wanted to vomit. She wanted to know why such a cruel man would touch her sister is a sexual way. It broke her in half and a new side opened up in her.

"Somebody stop him! Somebody! He raped my sister!" Amu screamed. Midori turned to look and saw nobody there. Some of the folks in the hospital were looking around with a confused look on their faces because they saw nobody either. Amu broke the hug and ran down the corridor toward the door. Desperate to find the figure, she busted the door open and headed outside. Her honey eyes glanced around the area, which was the back part of the hospital. Taking calm breaths, she stood still as she continued to look around. A shadow moved in the corner of her eye and she froze.

"W-Whoever is here, show yourself!" Amu yelled, shutting her eyes at the moment.

Shielding herself, Amu knew it wasn't going to be like the times where she defended herself against the scary shadows of the night or protecting her mouth from the nasty vegetables. She was growing up now and into a maturing young lady. It was time to face the frightening sights of reality.

_"Amu…"_

_'Amu-chi…"_

_"Amu-chan…"_

She could hear their voices repeating over and over in her mind. Yet it seemed like it wasn't being said in her mind though, it felt real. Blinking open her eyes, her name was repeated once more. _What? What's going on?_ She cringed at their whispers and looked around.

"Rima? Yaya? Tadase-kun?" Amu said as she circled around, but a tree branch crunched against the ground as footsteps came near her. She closed her eyes for a minute, trying to stay calm and brave.

Amu opened her eyes and stepped back a bit as she clenched her fists tightly. Leaning forward a little, she blinked before seeing another shadow move in the mist. Amu's eyes widened as she watched the figure come closer and closer. Intimidated by the color of his **red** eyes, her eyes had become blank and were in a trance. He rose his long, slender hands and caressed the side of Amu's face. However, her Humpty Lock sparkled and Amu returned back to normal. She looked down at the lock as a mixture of pink and blue sparkles shone before magically disappearing.

"What did you do to my sister?" Amu yelled; her body wracked from the shaking and fear that filled her body.

The tears were returning and she wiped them away. She needed to know; she craved it.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ikuto noticed the <strong>red<strong> eyes staring at him after setting down his violin. Tsukasa smiled at him and radiantly sparkled as he walked over to Ikuto. Ikuto, on the other hand, stood still.

"Well?" Ikuto said.

After several years of searching and seeking, it had come to this moment that Ikuto was craving for. He needed to complete this part of his journey so he could return to the one that he loved. Every single day that passed by, Ikuto oftened wondered about how Amu was doing and if she was okay. Her very existence not being near him had crushed him a little on the inside, but he never forgot about their promise.

"Your mother called. She said your father might be back in Japan." Tsukasa said.

"Is that so? Then let's go back to Japan." Ikuto smiled.

Picking up his violin case, his midnight blue eyes widened as the Humpty Key sparkled with pink and blue hues. His initial reaction was that something happened with Amu. He gripped the key into his hands and closed his eyes. Meanwhile, Tsukasa looked up to the sky and watched the stars. He could feel a disturbance in the path of the stars.

"Something's not right," Tsukasa said.

_Amu.. _Ikuto couldn't get Amu out of his mind at that very moment.

* * *

><p>"It's been a while, Amu-chan..." Tsukasa grinned, staring at a petrified Amu.<p>

-_to be continued-_

* * *

><p><strong>I'm so sorry for not updating, it's been a month. I've been busy with school and such, but my vacation is here so I'll try to update while I can. So you're probably wondering what's happening? Why are there two Tsukasas? Ami was raped? ...I love confusing my readers, and trust me, there is a valid reason behind all of this. It's not some made up stuff from the top of my head and you'll find out why in the next chapter! And I may be focusing a bit on Amu's part but it's necessary until the next chapter, then I'll make Ikuto's part longer. There is a reason why Tsukasa's eyes are red; Tadase isn't involved, by the way. Just bear with me here. Until then, adieu~<strong>


	3. Manipulation Begins

"_You're the main character of your story."_

"T-Tsukasa-san?" Amu stuttered out.

She looked into his purple eyes and started to stand up. He grinned down at her and came closer to her. As she backed away, her eyes were widening in shock with every step that she took.

"Amu-chan, don't be afraid at all." Tsukasa smiled.

"What did you do to my sister?" Amu stood her ground and asked.

"Would you like to find out?" Tsukasa smiled once more.

The same smile caused her to scream so loudly as she closed her eyes. She was preparing for the worse as she was defenseless and alone. However, nothing seemed to touch her and silence filled the air. Blinking her eyes open, she noticed that she was alone in the parking lot.

"Amu-chan!" yelled a voice.

Amu turned around in hesitation and saw her mother running towards her. The young girl couldn't take it anymore and looked around to find Tsukasa again. Her mother embraced her and that's when Amu blanked out.

It was almost as if he were an illusion casted to walk amongst the shadows and disappear at the strike of the tower's clock. Amu didn't understand what was going on but more importantly, she wanted to know why her life was heading down this particular path.

* * *

><p>After hours of traveling, Ikuto and Tsukasa finally arrived in Japan that night. As tired as he was, Ikuto was still determined to protect Amu. His mind was consistently full of thoughts that only seemed to revolve around her. She was his pride and preciousness after all.<p>

"This place hasn't changed at all." Ikuto said as he rode with Tsukasa in the taxi.

"You're right," Tsukasa said, checking his phone for messages.

Ikuto held his violin case near his lap as he looked out the window. His fist rested on the corner of his face while a bored expression filled his face. Every building that they passed by had the same design and it looked too dull for him. It wasn't until they entered the city, where memories started to fill his mind. The first spot that triggered this was the construction site of the amusement park.

The amusement park was full of memories for Ikuto because it was a place that he and his family went to when he was a child, plus it was where the teacups were. Those small teacups reminded Ikuto of Amu's smile and the memories they shared when she was a bit younger. He chuckled to himself when he recalled how carefree Amu was when she chose the rides she wanted to try.

He looked over towards Tsukasa and noticed him sighing. He shrugged and decided to start a conversation since the taxi driver wasn't going to bother them with chit chat.

"Is something wrong?" Ikuto asked.

"I'm trying to get a hold of Tadase's mother, but she's not picking up at all." Tsukasa said.

Ikuto knew perfectly well how stubborn Tadase's mother could get. She was the type of woman to easily get jealous and be irritated by things that were obviously better than her. He nodded silently and Tsukasa set his phone down. However, the moment he set it down, his ringtone went off and Tsukasa picked it up. Not bothering to listen, Ikuto stared out the window again.

"She's what?" Tsukasa said shockingly.

Ikuto still didn't turn back and watched as the stars dimmed brighter than the streetlights. It wasn't until a sudden movement from Tsukasa that he noticed something was happening.

"Please go to Seiyo Hospital. I'll pay extra." Tsukasa said.

Ikuto looked over at Tsukasa and Tsukasa looked over at Ikuto.

"That was your mother. Amu-chan's in the hospital." Tsukasa said.

Ikuto's eyes widened and he froze, showing no movement at all. His precious beloved was in the hospital and he felt defenseless on the inside. A part of him felt like it was his fault for not being there to save her, but the other half wondered why the girl was there in the first place. Secretly, he wanted this damn taxi driver to go faster so he could see his Amu quicker.

_Almost..._ Ikuto looked back out at the nightsky.

* * *

><p><em>I hear this kind voice... it's so close.<em> A figure appeared in Amu's dream as they held a violin in their hands and played a soft, yet sad melody. Amu looked around and noticed that she was dressed in a lavender, silk nightgown. She was standing in the middle of the corridor and started to walk towards the figure, almost as if she were in a trance, but came to a holt when they turned around to face her.

Their midnight blue eyes pierced into Amu's eyes as she widened at how much sadness filled them. Resting her hand on her heart, she could feel the pain strike her chest and she hit the ground. The pain grew quicker and faster before everything turned black.

"Amu-chan..."

"Amu-chi..."

"Amu..."

"Amu-chan!" a voice yelled.

Amu gulped in a fresh breath of air and opened her eyes. She sat up and looked around to see her mother and father standing near her. Their faces grieved with sorrow but relief as her mother hugged her tightly. Amu stayed quiet and looked around her. She realized that they were in Ami's hospital room and that her sister was safe.

Looking down at her mother as she cried into Amu's chest, it shredded and broke Amu's heart. Gently but firmly, she hugged her mother in return and patted her on the back. Staring at both of her parents, Amu realized how much pain they were taking in. In fact, she wanted everything to go back to normal because all of this pain was tearing them apart. Something inside of her

"Mom, I promise that everything will get better." Amu said.

Her mother squeezed tightly and released her daughter to sit next to her husband. Midori smiled over at her eldest daughter and in return, Amu smiled. Her legs started to shake and Amu looked down at her lap. She had just lied to her mother with a promise sealed within it. To be honest, she wasn't sure if things were actually going to get better.

_That dream felt so familiar..._ Amu tapped her chin and tried so hard to think about it, but nothing came into mind. She sighed and scratched her hair in irritation. Things were slowly twisting around and she wanted to know why Tsukasa suddenly appeared in the parking lot and who the figure was in her dream.

Amu stood up from her spot and excused herself out of the room. Her mother was hesitant at first but she persuaded her that she'd be fine. Yawning, Amu took out a dollar from her pocket and decided to go get a snack for herself. All of these weird events had tired her out and she barely ate anything in the past twenty four hours. Rubbing her back, she finally approached the lobby and inserted the dollar into the snack machine.

Choosing a simple candy bar, she pressed in the buttons and waited for it to drop. She could see her reflection in the snack machine and decided to fix herself up. However, she came to a halt and widened her eyes. A figure was standing behind her and it was so familiar that his scent filled the place. Turning around slowly, she came face to face with Ikuto, who finally arrived after fifteen minutes.

"Ikuto? Is that really you?" Amu asked.

"The one and only," Ikuto smiled.

She quirked an eyebrow at him poked him on the arm. He smirked and pulled her towards him as she blushed. Smiling lightly, he looked down at her and noticed how puffy her eyes were. Frowning, he speculated the girl, who continued to blush underneath his stare.

"Why are you here?" Amu asked.

"Tsukasa said that my father might be back in town. Also, something about you being in the hospital." Ikuto said.

"T-Tsukasa?" Amu looked away.

Ikuto looked at Amu with a strange look and noticed how badly shaking she was. Surely enough, Tsukasa walked into the hospital's entrance and found the pair standing in the lobby. He waved and smiled over at Amu, who slightly waved at him.

"Amu-chan, can the three of us talk outside?" Tsukasa asked.

Amu wasn't sure what to say but nodded anyways. She grabbed her snack from the machine and followed behind Ikuto as the trio walked outside. A slight breeze swayed onto Amu's skin and she shivered. Ikuto took notice and put his jacket around her shoulders as they sat on the bench. She nodded in thanks and took a nibble out of her snack.

"I thought you were injured but I was told wrong." Ikuto glanced at Tsukasa, who smiled.

"No, my sister is the one who is here, not me." Amu said.

"Is everything okay?" Tsukasa asked.

Amu looked down and didn't say a word. She felt so guilty about her sister's condition and partially blamed herself for it. A slight exhale emitted from her and she fought back the tears once more. Ikuto patted her on the shoulder, signaling that it was okay not to speak. However, Amu looked up at Tsukasa and decided to speak to him.

"No. I'm just confused right now because something happened earlier here in the parking lot." Amu said.

Tsukasa looked down and noted to himself that his predictions were correct. The stars were not aligned in the correct path, therefore, a disturbance was lurking in the order and disrupted the course of time. He stared over at the girl and she proceeded on.

"I came face to face with you." Amu pointed to Tsukasa.

Ikuto and Tsukasa stared at Amu for a moment and both thought about how strange that was. There was no way that Tsukasa could be in two places at once. Tsukasa tapped his foot and then started to speak.

"It couldn't have been me. I was with Ikuto-kun the whole time, in a different country too." Tsukasa said.

Amu stood up in her spot and shook her head in confusion. If it wasn't him, then who was it? She looked over towards Ikuto and then back to the ground.

"But then my lock begun to shine and then things disappeared from there." Amu said.

She turned back around and walked towards her spot. Tapping her chin with her fingers, she exhaled deeply and covered her eyes. It felt like someone was coming after her because none of this made sense at all. She bit her lip and knew that this was a possible choice.

"The same thing happened to me with my key too." Ikuto concluded.

"What if someone is after me?" Amu asked.

Tsukasa sighed and looked down. He, too, knew that something was boiling and it wasn't playing around. Although, it was confusing, he needed to let the others know that they weren't going to be defeated by such a thing.

"If someone is, we'll be here for you." Tsukasa reassured.

Those words were the highlight of Amu's deranged night. She was halfway hopeful but also scared at the same time.

* * *

><p>A young boy and two girls stood at the gates of the locked down Easter. One of the girls unlocked the chains that surrounded the doors before entering inside of the abandoned building. The walls were rusted and rocks surrounded the place. Old computers, windows, doors, and furniture were broken and torn to pieces. The environment was dull and gray but seemed perfect for the trio.<p>

With a snap of one of the girl's fingers, her pigtails bounced up and down with glee. She watched as the lifeless place turned into a funhouse full of colors and working supplies. The furniture was now red velvet with gold walls, balloons surrounded the place along with other galores.

"It's time to start this wonderful game! Heehee~" Yaya winked. She was dress in frilly, puffy pink dress that made her look like a princess as she waltzed around with her wand. Pepe was right by her side as well.

Rima sighed and glared over at the young girl. She looked down at her outfit and scoffed. It was a replica of Yaya's outfit, only it was in orange.

"Why do I have to wear this ridiculous outfit?" Rima crossed her arms.

Yaya giggled and looked over at Tadase, who was blushing. He was in his transformation with Kiseki and the frills tickled him a bit. Nodding, Yaya gleamed and pumped up one fist into the air.

"The Cute Trio is ready for business!" Yaya said.

Rima facepalmed and walked away from the sparkling Yaya to get a cup of tea. Meanwhile, Tadase was standing there and sweatdropping. The fun was soon interrupted when a figure walked into the building. Immediately, everyone stood up and their eyes went blank, almost as if they were in a trance.

"The power of manipulation is in my hands. You three will be perfect." they said.

All three of them nodded in response.

"Say goodbye, Hinamori Amu." they said, grinning over at Amu's three friends.

* * *

><p><strong>an: Sooooo um... I made a mistake in the other chapter with saying that Tsukasa's eyes were red. Whoops. I guess I got him mixed up with Tadase again. Anyway, here's the 3rd chapter! I hoped you guys like it. And please look at this chapter carefully... characters and words hint out what is going to happen in future chapters. ;) Reviews are lovely~**


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